


Becoming Bullseye

by euphoricvibes



Category: Daredevil (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-10 23:12:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18417854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/euphoricvibes/pseuds/euphoricvibes
Summary: After Dex's surgery, he's enrolled onto a secretive training programme. With his life in shambles, he has no other choice. But the more he discovers about the programme, the more he realises this path will lead to either his revenge or his redemption...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't read the comics, so I have no idea how exactly Dex becomes Bullseye. All I know is I need more Dex in my life. This story will mention Bucky Barnes, not sure if it will have him in it though.
> 
> This is the first fanfic I've written in a while, so please forgive any mistakes.

**_~ 3 months ago…_**  
Dex slipped in and out of consciousness, each time being greeted by a burning, hot pain that radiated from his spine across his entire body. His brain was foggy, struggling to comprehend what exactly was happening.

“It’s a waste of time, Doc, he’s not going to recover…” One of the male doctors said, glancing at the heart monitor.

“I disagree. If he was going to die, he would’ve died when we first bound his spine to the metal. The most dangerous part is over.”

“I didn’t say he would die. But his mind… his body… they will never be the same again.”

“You’re right, he won’t be the same,” Doctor Oyama replied sternly. “He will better… stronger than he was before.”

Dex wasn’t sure what he was trying to communicate, but the only noise that came from his throat was a grunt. The younger doctor reacted quickly, picking up a needle from the tray beside his bed and injecting it into the IV line. Doctor Oyama slowly glanced over Dex, “I will speak with you soon, Benjamin, when you wake up.”

 _My name is Dex_ , he wanted to say, but his body welcomed the relief that the sedative brought, his vision blurring and his mind slipping back into blackness.

 ** _~ 1 month ago…_**  
Dex still spent most of his days asleep, but during the few hours he was allowed to stay awake, he wished he wasn’t. His body felt like a stranger’s - it was heavy, sluggish, and didn’t respond the way he wanted it to.

“Could you form two fists for me, Benjamin?” Dex gritted his teeth as his muscles tensed along his arms, a sharp pain shooting across his spine and causing him to wince. The female doctor glanced at a monitor and wrote something on her clipboard, “Thank you. And now, stretch your feet out.” He obeyed, and felt another jolt of pain. She continued to command him: lift your arms; bend your legs; turn your head. He obeyed, letting out a deep breathe through the pain.

“Thank you, Benjamin. I know it’s still painful for you but your body is improving rapidly, even if it doesn’t feel like it is. We’ll start getting you up and walking in a couple of days. And, in a couple of weeks, you might even be discharged.”

He didn’t reply. Not that he couldn’t. But he didn’t want to. What was the point? He wasn’t Dex anymore. Not with this broken body. Not without his job. His entire life. Everything that he had built was gone. He was pathetic, weak and useless. And all these things just made him angry.

The only reason he complied with their stupid requests to move his body was to stop them from moving him around like a puppet. They learned quickly that he hated being touched when Dex grabbed the doctor’s hand that was on his own and twisted it away. Dex felt a mind-numbing pain that lasted the rest of the day, but it was nothing compared to the feeling of being grabbed and prodded by all those doctor’s.

The pager on the doctor’s waist beeped, and she let out a frustrated sigh when she read it. “I’ll be right back,” she said, leaving the clipboard on the side.

After what felt like hours, it seemed like she had forgotten to return. Dex’s eyes wandered over to the clipboard, curiosity urging him to read it. He gave in, letting out a low groan as he reached over and picked it up.

He scanned over the first page, there was a list of dates were from every visit he had in the past months, and next to them were numbers that didn’t provide any context. He flipped the page over. There was a checklist scoring everything from his physical movements, to his attitude, to his emotional response. _How could they rate my attitude and emotional response when I haven’t said a word?_ Dex wondered. But this thought was quickly forgotten when he read the bottom line: “Benjamin Poindexter has been approved for the S.S. Regenesis Programme by Doctor Kenji Oyama”. Dex flipped the page again, hoping to get more insight into this programme that he was apparently being enrolled on but there was nothing helpful.

At that moment, the doctor came back. She was surprised at the sight of him actually being sat up and doing something as opposed to laying there lifeless.

“What’s S.S Regenesis?” Dex asked immediately, his voice was hoarse from being unused for so long.

“It’s a… special training programme.” She replied, holding out her hand for the clipboard. “And you’ll find out more about it when you’ve completed your physical therapy.”

Dex handed the clipboard back, filled with new intrigue. A programme meant there was a structure. A structure meant that his life wouldn’t be in complete free-fall after he recovered. And once he got his life back together, he would be able to get revenge on those who destroyed it in the first place.

He thought that he had lost his life and his North Star when Julie died, but she was still there to guide him. Her death became a new guiding light for his path of revenge. Dex had found a new purpose. To kill everyone who was involved in her death. Fisk. Vanessa. Daredevil. Everyone in the FBI who betrayed him. Thank you, Julie. He thought, a small smile playing on his lips. Thank you for showing me the path, as always.

 ** _~Present day_**  
Ever since his revelation about his new purpose, Dex had worked harder to get better. He exercised his muscles as much as he could everyday, stretching out and pushing his body until it hurt. Then, he kept going.

He even made some efforts to interact with his doctor. Her name was Anna. She studied medicine at NYU, before joining the Army as a doctor. The S.S. Regenesis Programme reached out and hired her specifically because of her relevant skills in the field of combat and in the field of medicine. She’s been working on the project for 3 years now. She has a husband called Peter and a son named Aiden, but she feels as if they’re drifting apart because of the secrecy involved with her job.

Dex had listened to her talk for hours while he performed his daily examination with her. He took in all this information, nodding and responding when appropriate, but still couldn’t figure out exactly what S.S. Regenesis actually involved. He knew that he must’ve also been chosen because of his Army and FBI background. But why would they invest so much time and money into him when there must be hundreds of other people with similar backgrounds, and no spinal injury to recover from?

“You’re making amazing progress, Dex,” She scribbled something down. Anna was always scribbling notes on her clipboard during their sessions. Dex figured that she must be reporting back to someone higher up - maybe she was scared of the repercussions of inadequate reports, or maybe she wanted to impress them. Either way, Anna wasn’t in charge here. He needed to find out more about this Kenji Oyama person.

“I feel good. Recovered.” He insisted, perching at the edge of the his bed. The mattress was actually softer in this new room than the hospital bed, which he hated. He felt like it cushioned his body too much, making him soft as well. “And I haven’t needed any help getting to the food hall or going outside for weeks now. I’m better.”

“Yes, you are better, but I’m not quite sure that you’re ready for the next step yet.”

Dex’s jaw clenched in frustration and his fists clenched hard until his knuckles were white. He was ready for the next step. He needed to move onto the next step. His physique was as good as it could get in a hospital - he could walk, run, eat and shit by himself. But the bits that made him complete couldn’t be improved until he was discharged. He needed a track to improve his speed again, he needed an obstacle course to improve his agility again, and he needed a gun range to improve his skills again. None of the important stuff could be done here. He needed to get out now.

“This hospital isn’t helping me anymore. I’m… going insane in here.” He told her, hesitating at the word ‘insane’. Did they know about his past with Dr. Mercer? Surely, they did. But what if they didn’t, and then reject him because of his ‘psychotic tendencies’? And who were ‘they’? He had no idea, but decided to keep those psychotic tendencies under check to avoid that possibility.

“I understand, Dex, but if I approve you before you’re fully ready, then it could really set your progress back.” She tells him firmly, though there is sympathy in her tone.

“You don’t know me, you have no idea what I’m capable of.” He retorts, but instantly regrets it. _Shit, I need to stay on her good side._

But the venom in his voice doesn’t cut Anna at all. She simply nods. “You’re right. I don’t. But your psychologist knew you, your Army squad knew you, and so did your colleagues at the FBI. Your physical fitness isn’t the problem. It’s your mentality. And until you can show me that you’re the person they all thought you were, I can’t progress you onto the next step of the programme.”

 _How the hell am I meant to know what to do?_ He didn’t realise that he asked the question out loud until Anna replied.

“Well, by making an effort to connect with people like a normal human being. Have you even spoken to anyone in the ward, apart from me?” She asked incredulously.

Dex paused. Nope. He hadn’t spoken to anyone else. And actually, he had hardly spoken to Anna, except for small talk that she would provide. He would avoid eye contact, sit alone to eat, and go on solo runs around the grass area that surrounded the hospital. He couldn’t even recall a single name or face. Dex couldn’t even remember if he had been saying ‘please’ or ‘thank you’ to the staff in the food hall. He had been solely focused on getting physically fit again.

In all honesty, he had never really understood the point of ‘connecting’ with people, except if he had to work with them. And that was only to make his own life easier. He had to admit, he did consider his team at the FBI to be his friends in the end, and felt hurt when they betrayed him… when they betrayed Julie by failing to protect her. But these people, these strangers in a hospital that he would be discharged from eventually. They meant nothing to him. And would never mean anything to him. So, what was the point?

Still. If that is what it would take for Anna to see him as ‘normal’ and allow him to progress onto the next step of his plan, then so be it.

“Fine.” He said, forcing a smile at Anna. “I’ll make a friend.”


	2. Chapter 2

Dex woke up at first daylight, putting on the plain white shirt and dark grey joggers that the hospital provided as a standard. He stood in front of the mirror that was stuck on the wall, thinking about the promise he made Anna. To make a friend. That meant he had to put some effort into his appearance. For the first time in weeks, he noticed how long his hair was. The usual short, smart cut that he kept for work had outgrown past his ears. His face was usually either clean shaven or kept minimal, but was now longer than it had ever been in his life.

He grimaced at how much he had let himself go. Maybe Anna was right after all, and he wasn’t ready yet. His body was fit enough, though he still felt stiffer and heavier than before the surgery. But his mental health was clearly far from what it was before. This was evident by the messy, unkept face that stared back at him in the mirror. If he couldn’t even keep himself in check, how was he meant to make others believe that he was normal?

Dex went over and rummaged through the cabinet above the sink. He grabbed the scissors and razor, and went to work. The beard was easy - he went for a clean shave. But the hair was tricky. In the end, he had only managed to make small snips all around to shorten it above his ears. He combed his hand through his hair, attempting to style it. It wasn’t a bad cut, but it certainly wasn’t his best look.

He glanced at the clock on the wall. _Damn it._ He had perfected his morning routine to avoid people at all costs. Going to the food hall at 7am every morning before anyone was awake and eat breakfast alone. By the time he finished breakfast, and people were arriving, he’d be making his way to the gym. His workout would last an hour, then he’d go for a shower (and use the cubicle right at the end of the shower room), before going to his daily meeting with Anna. The rest of the day was easy - between lunch and dinner times, he would either be walking or running around the outside area of the hospital (no normal person would randomly stop someone on their daily exercise routes), doing stretches in his room or reading the book that Anna bought in for him.

But his little makeover took more time than he anticipated. And now it was already nearly 8am. Peak breakfast time. Dex was usually more agitated on an empty stomach which would mean it would be more difficult to talk to people. Great.

He dusted off any short hairs that were left on his shirt from his haircut and left his room. Outside, the patients and staff were already filling the halls. The recovery wing was less chaotic than the main hospital wing but it was still too busy for Dex’s liking. He made his way towards the food hall, making an extra effort to keep his head up and smile at anyone he made eye contact with, although most people just turned away quickly or gave him a weird look in response.

This was the first time he had actually taken notice of the food hall. It was not as full of people as he anticipated - some of the people here were much older than him, hobbling around with a zimmerframe or attached to an oxygen tank. There were a couple of younger kids and teenagers who grouped together and were being supervised by a few of the staff members.

“Hello? Your card?” The lady at the checkout said, waving a hand in front of him.

Anna had given him a card that allowed for a breakfast and a dinner each day. She said it came courtesy of the programme - they were clearly invested in getting him healthy again. Dex was too preoccupied by surveying the room that he was holding up the line. “Uh, sorry,” He muttered, handing over his card and getting it scanned. The lady looked annoyed, immediately turning her attention to the next patient.

Dex gritted his teeth. He had already failed at making any small talk with the cashier, and instead had embarrassed himself. He headed straight to the empty table at the furthest corner of the room by the window, his tray clattering down noisily, but was largely ignored. He ate his food in silence, staring out at the garden area. He couldn’t wait to go for his run - there was no obligation to talk to people when he ran.

He was lost in his own thoughts again, planning his day and how he was going to go about talking to someone when he heard a voice saying “oh shit” beside him. He turned and his hand flicked out instinctively to catch an iPod that was falling out of someone’s pocket. “Oh… wow. Nice reflexes.” His eyes trailed up and was greeted by a grin. The girl turned and set her tray down opposite him. She looked only a couple of years younger than Dex, but her dark doe-eyes and messy, curly hair made her look more innocent and childish.

She grabbed it the iPod from his hand, leaving it face-down beside her food. “I only just got this last week, so you really saved my life there.”

Dex’s eyebrows furrowed as he examined the ‘new’ iPod. “I thought they stopped making iPods like that years ago…”

The girl took a bite from her cereal bar, giving him a quizzical look. “You’re new here, aren’t you?”

“Um, not really. I keep to myself.” Dex replied, mimicking her and taking a bite of his apple.

“Oh… Okay, well, I’ll leave you alone then.” She began to pick up her stuff.

“Wait, don’t! That wasn’t a hint to leave.” _Damn it, Dex._ “I just meant, I haven’t really spoken to anyone… You can sit here, if you want.”

She sat back down, but didn’t say anything. Dex usually preferred silence to forced small talk, but in this case, he wished she would say something to start the conversation. She continued to eat her food without a word. Was she waiting for him to speak?

“I’m Dex, by the way,”

“Lucy.” She replied. Then silence again. _What’s her problem?_ Dex thought. Any normal person would be making an effort to continue the conversation, either out of politeness or just to avoid any awkward silences. That’s what made it easy for Dex, all he had to do was nod or ask a question, and the other person would make conversation. But not Lucy, apparently.

He glanced around the room again. None of those people were really within his demographic of potential friends. So, Lucy would have to do. “So, how comes you’re in here?”

Lucy cleared her throat, “I’m being given this experimental treatment for a rare type of motor neurone disease. This hospital is the only place that allows it, because only a few people in the world have it, so it’s not properly tested on humans.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“I don’t really have any other choices,” She shrugged with nonchalance.

“That… sounds really hard,” Dex replied automatically.

“It’s fine. My grandmother had it, so it was more likely that I’d get it too. But Doctor Oyama says I’ve been responding well to the treatment so far. He’s been a close family friend for years, so I trust him.”

Doctor Oyama. Dex’s attention perked up. Did this Lucy girl know something about the S.S. Regenesis programme? He shifted in his seat, his brain wracking up ways to bring it up without sounding weird. “That name sounds familiar… I think he’s the one who treated my spinal surgery.”

Lucy swallowed her bite of food, her eyebrows arching, “What happened to your spine?”

Dex contemplated lying to her. After being manipulated and betrayed by everyone around him, how could he know who to trust? But Dr. Mercer’s advice echoed in his mind - she was telling him that if Dex needed Lucy to be his friend, it was probably best to tell the truth. Plus, she seemed harmless enough. “I was in the FBI, and I got into a fight with Wilson Fisk and Daredevil.”

She blinked. “Are you serious?” He nodded. “That is absolutely insane.”

“Yeah, I’m lucky to be alive.” Dex paused slightly. “Do you know how I can get in contact with Doctor Oyama? I haven’t had the chance to thank him properly yet, for saving my life.”

“I only meet with him once a month, but next time I see him, I’ll mention you said thanks.” She offered with a smile.

“I think I’d like to thank him in person, actually.”

“He’s really busy. Who’s your doctor? Maybe you can ask them to arrange a meeting.”

Dex wanted to push for more information. When would they next meet? Where do they meet? Was it here, at the hospital? He desperately wished he was still an FBI agent. All he’d have to do was pull out his ID and badge and people would start cooperating fully. But, he couldn’t do that now, so he had to play it smarter. “My doctor is Anna Lewis. She said I’m ‘not ready’ to meet him yet, whatever that means.”

Lucy shrugged, “I guess you’ll just have to wait until Anna approves you,”

 _Approves_. That word. That exact word that Anna used. “Do you know what S.S. Regenesis is?”

Dex watched her expression carefully. If she did know anything, she didn’t give it away. “No idea, sorry.” Her iPod on the table buzzed, but Lucy was unfazed, continuing to finish her breakfast. Dex decided to politely ignore it too. Until it went off again. And again.

“Sorry, it’s just my physio-therapist - she always messages to remind me about our session but it’s not like my schedule is busy.” Lucy started to stand up, slipping the iPod back into her pocket. “I’ll see you around. It was nice meeting you, Dex.”

“Yeah, see you later.” Dex observed her as she walked away. He saw how thin and frail her frame was, and how careful her movements were. He couldn’t imagine that she’d know anything about this S.S. Regenesis programme - she looked like she couldn’t hold her own weight for too long before crumbling. Was it pity that he felt? He wasn’t sure. All he knew was that making friends with her would kill two birds with one stone - one step closer to finding out who Doctor Oyama was, and one step closer to fulfilling Anna’s wishes.


End file.
